


favorite christmas memory

by scalira



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 04:37:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5483738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scalira/pseuds/scalira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles didn’t think he would ever find the joy in Christmas again, but how could he not enjoy it when Malia’s eyes sparkled and her giggles filled the room?</p>
            </blockquote>





	favorite christmas memory

Stiles never really liked Christmas. He didn’t know why people made such a fuzz about the whole event. In his eyes, it was a lot of work to be with family members you didn’t even like, eating food you regretted eating in the morning and receiving shitty presents you had to pretend you liked.

Of course he hadn’t  _always_ been so bitter about the winter holiday. When his mom was still alive, he loved it. Anticipating Christmas morning, spending Christmas day in his pajamas, helping his mom bake cookies.

But after she died, it felt as if she took the warmth of the holiday with her. After her death, his dad didn’t feel like celebrating anymore. Family members stayed away, the presents became even shittier. His dad simply stopped trying.

Stiles guesses he did too.

That was until he met Malia.

At first he had thought she was a little ball of anger. Always scowling and snarling, just like her cousin. But he soon realized it was all an act. Malia wasn’t full of anger. She was kind and compassionate and sweet. She loved taking pictures of everyone and everything with her crappy phone camera. ‘To remember’, she would say. She loved the smell of freshly cut grass, listening to loud music. She loved warm baths and kisses on the palms of her hands and tight hugs.

But most of all, she loved Christmas.

She started counting down to it the moment Halloween was over. The spooky decorations weren’t even in the trash yet when she started digging up ugly Christmas sweaters with reindeer, old Christmas movies and recipes for gingerbread.

Stiles didn’t think he would ever find the joy in Christmas again, but how could he not enjoy it when Malia’s eyes sparkled and her giggles filled the room?

* * *

“Stiles, come help me with this!” Malia yells from the attic. Stiles looks up from the book he had been reading and gets up.

He finds her on her knees in the midst of boxes overflowing with Christmas decorations.

“What’s up?”

“Which ones do you like best to decorate the tree? The traditional red and green balls or the silver and gold balls?”

Stiles pretends to think this through before answering.

“How about the silver and red ones? You know, to cause some controversy.”

Malia rolls her eyes at him but eventually grabs the red and silver balls.

“Okay, can you grab the box with tree decorations and I’ll grab the fairy lights.”

“You got it, boss.”

* * *

Decorating the tree with Malia is more fun than Stiles ever imagined. She put on some sappy Christmas songs she all knows by heart and therefore sings along to very loudly and makes ridiculous dance moves as she decorates the tree. Stiles has to snap out of it multiple times, otherwise he’d just keep staring at her while she does all the work.

“Okay, so. Question time. What’s your favorite Christmas memory?” Malia asks out of nowhere.

Stiles freezes on the spot.

“Uh… well, we- didn’t really celebrate Christmas at our house.”

Malia peeks around the tree to frown at him.

“Really? Why not?”

Stiles shrugs and hopes it comes off as casual.

“There wasn’t much to celebrate.”

Malia looks like she wants to ask more about it, but she can probably smell his anxiety and decides to drop it.

“Well,  _my_  favorite Christmas memory is getting a puppy.”

“You got a puppy?”

“Uhu,” Malia nods with a smile.

“I’m sure you remember Apollo. He was a puppy once. We got him when I was seven and Ella six. You should’ve seen my mom’s face, she had no idea dad bought him. If you ever-“ She cuts off abruptly, her smile faltering.

It’s as if she, for only a second, had forgotten her mother and sister are dead.

“I-“ Malia tries to continue, but she chokes on her words.

Then Stiles realizes something. This is  _Malia._  She has known loss just as much – if not more – than him. He can tell her about his favorite Christmas memory.

“When I was seven, my mom had somehow forgotten it was Christmas eve and our whole family was coming over for dinner. She used to be a very chaotic woman, even before she got sick. It was around six p.m. when she jerked up from the couch with this shocked scream. I remember her slapping a hand over her mouth to keep the swearwords in. She ran across the house, collecting all the food she could find. We ended up eating pizza, left over Chinese, mashed potatoes with meatloaf, soup and chocolate cake. It was the best Christmas meal ever.”

Somehow, they backed away from the tree while talking and ended up leaning against the door frame, looking at the tree while talking.

“It surely sounds delicious,” Malia jokes, poking him in the ribs with her elbow. Stiles looks down at her and smiles.

As she looks up to him, her eyes wander even more upward. Then a grin spreads across her face.

Stiles follows her gaze and notices the mistletoe hanging in the doorway just as she tugs at his sweater.

Their lips meet in a smile. Malia tastes like hot chocolate and winter and her hands are surprisingly warm in his neck. As he wraps his arms around her waist, he can’t stop thinking that this may very well become his new favorite Christmas memory.


End file.
